The sky over Yinshuang City suddenly darkened, as if brewing a heavy rain in the depths of this cold winter month.

Knocking sounds came from outside the Nüwa Temple hall. Huo Daozhang was stunned and bewildered. The savage dark blood people naturally wouldn’t knock on doors, so who was knocking? The leader turned to look at Huo Daozhang. Huo Daozhang weakly nodded. “Go open the door.”

The door opened. A gust of bitter cold wind blew in first, then Li Si, Wang Hang, Lao Sitou, Bai Zhenzhu, Zhu Chao, and thirty officers walked in, along with eighty or ninety surviving civilians they had rescued along the way.

“Zhu Chao?” Huo Daozhang spotted Zhu Chao at a glance and instantly understood who these people were.

Huo Daozhang smiled with relief, his smile filled with bittersweet emotion. Wang Hang came forward to introduce himself, and also introduced Li Si and the others’ identities. Learning that Li Si was the Great Shi God-Catcher, Huo Daozhang’s eyes flashed with surprise, then he nodded amiably toward Li Si and greeted everyone.

Zhu Chao told Huo Daozhang about the Dark Blood Plague situation, also stating that dark blood people feared heat and fire.

The officers still held torches. They had just relied on dozens of torches to drive away the dark blood people, allowing Li Si and Wang Hang to reach the main hall. Huo Daozhang looked at the torches and sighed. “At least those demons have something they fear. There’s no news more comforting than this.”

“What do we do next?” Huo Daozhang inquired of Wang Hang. Wang Hang hesitantly looked toward Li Si. Li Si surveyed everyone and said slowly, “The current strategy is to first settle the people here, rescue other survivors, and prepare food and water. Most importantly, we must leave the city to seek help.”

Huo Daozhang and Wang Hang expressed agreement. The Nüwa Temple was spacious enough, and the worship hall at the front could also accommodate several hundred people. Wang Hang immediately arranged for officers to fetch grain and carry water. Some people had external injuries and needed medicine for treatment. Wang Hang arranged everything meticulously. Huo Daozhang and the young prince were badly frightened and remained in the main hall. Zhu Chao and two expert fighters went to seek help from Fengxi Lower Province, a hundred li away.

The young prince in the sedan chair was pale-faced. He only waved at Li Si and the others but didn’t come over to speak.

Huo Daozhang said with heartache, “The young prince came to pray for blessings for the Crown Princess. He already caught a cold during the journey and hasn’t recovered yet. Now he’s been frightened again. That damned Zhang Xianglin—when I return to the Holy City and report to His Majesty, I’ll have that villain’s entire household executed.”

Li Si’s lips moved, as if wanting to speak but ultimately choosing silence. From the information currently available, someone in Yinshuang City was indeed stirring up bloody chaos, but to definitively say it was Zhang Xianglin still lacked hard evidence.

Wang Hang conversed obsequiously with Huo Daozhang.

Li Si withdrew to Lao Sitou and Bai Zhenzhu’s side. Bai Zhenzhu saw those suffering civilians, especially the children among them, and her eyes couldn’t help reddening, tears rolling down one after another.

“They’re so pitiful. No homes, no family, and still having to flee for their lives everywhere,” Bai Zhenzhu’s beautiful eyes accumulated frost and cold. “Whoever harmed them must pay the price.”

Everyone in the main hall became silent due to fright, exhaustion, sadness, and various factors. Time passed quickly in this seemingly frozen space. In the blink of an eye, over an hour had passed, yet no one had returned.

Two quarters past the Hour of the Monkey, Zhu Chao returned first. Following closely behind, officers from various routes also returned.

Everyone’s expression was poor.

The officers reported to Wang Hang one by one, saying there was no grain in any of the major grain shops or restaurants. Not only that, even the medicine shops didn’t have a single medicinal ingredient. Wang Hang’s complexion changed repeatedly as he anxiously beat his chest and stamped his feet.

Zhu Chao was even more dejected. “Outside the stone bridge of Yinshuang City, a large battalion of government troops is stationed. They said they received a report about a major plague outbreak and specially sealed off the entire Yinshuang City to prevent the epidemic from spreading and poisoning more people. The leading general said he won’t let a single person leave Yinshuang City even half a step.”

Huo Daozhang’s face turned iron-blue as he roared, “Didn’t you tell him the young prince is also inside the city?”

“I did. But that general said he only obeys the Founding Emperor’s iron laws and military regulations, and doesn’t care about any prince or no prince. Moreover, he only recognizes His Majesty… he’s never seen the young prince,” Zhu Chao said with a bitter face.

“Did you ask which military camp he’s from?” Li Si suddenly spoke.

Zhu Chao hurriedly said, “I asked. He said it’s the Xuanjie Encampment.”

Li Si sighed softly. Wang Hang’s gaze was oppressed. Huo Daozhang gnashed his teeth and said, “Everyone knows the Xuanjie Encampment is affiliated with Prince Ding. This must be another good deed by that despicable Zhang Xianglin. He’s cutting off all our escape routes!”

“Wait a moment. I never wrote a plague report. How could he have such a thing?” Wang Hang suddenly remembered.

Everyone looked at Zhu Chao. Zhu Chao said with certainty, “It’s true. They even let me see it with my own eyes. I remember now—the report wasn’t signed by Magistrate Wang, but by Deputy Magistrate Hua Wantian.”

“Hua Wantian, Deputy Magistrate Hua! How could it be him?” Wang Hang was extremely shocked. Apart from the county magistrate, indeed only the deputy magistrate could write such a report. But this Deputy Magistrate Hua gave the impression of being mature and honest. How did he suddenly change face and betray him to write something that would harm the entire Yinshuang City?

Something struck at Li Si’s heart. He thought to himself: Demon-Men, grain and medicine, Xuanjie Encampment, dark blood people, Yinshuang City… This is the great conspiracy behind Lin Mang and the many other Demon-Men!

Li Si sighed aloud. Wang Hang came to ask. Li Si said sullenly, “I’m afraid Hua Wantian is no longer the Hua Wantian that Magistrate Wang knew.”

Wang Hang was enlightened by these words. He stared wide-eyed. “You mean… a Demon-Man?”

Li Si slowly nodded. “Combining all the above facts, Yinshuang City’s tragic fall to today’s situation all stems from a deeply hidden conspiracy. The mastermind behind the conspiracy is very likely Zhang Xianglin, along with the important figure behind him. Zhang Xianglin first arranged for Lin Mang and a batch of Demon-Men to infiltrate Yinshuang City, unknowingly replacing major figures in the city who held real power, including Cui Yunhai and Hua Wantian. Then he sent carriers of Dark Blood Plague into the city. After lurking for a period of time, the Dark Blood Plague broke out, spreading throughout the city to the point of utter devastation.” Li Si paused, then continued, “There’s also the most hateful move—the Demon-Men used their false identities to transfer or burn the city’s grain and medicine, and used a single report to summon the Xuanjie Encampment’s great army, cutting off our hope of seeking help from the outside world.”

“Sui Bing of the Xuanjie Encampment may know about this conspiracy, but he’s also in collusion with them, helping the tyrant to commit evil,” Li Si’s eyes shot cold light. “To prevent the conspiracy from being exposed, these people successively killed the seven people in Yinshuang Prison, A’Shu, Cui Yunhai, Wu Ancai, Du Chong, Hua Wantian, and others. Now they’re even more insane, wanting to use the Dark Blood Plague to slaughter the entire city’s people. How utterly ruthless and cruel!”

“As for the entire conspiracy’s objective, there’s only one person,” Li Si slowly looked toward the young prince inside the sedan chair.

“By having the young prince die in the great plague of natural and man-made disasters, they can escape the heavenly punishment for murdering the heir apparent.”

After hearing Li Si’s words, both Wang Hang and Huo Daozhang felt their entire bodies wrapped in a ball of cold air, chilled from head to toe. Wang Hang meticulously told Huo Daozhang all the details, starting from investigating Sun San and A’Shu, to entering the Cui residence and discovering the mystery of the Demon-Men, to finding Cui Yunhai’s corpse.

Huo Daozhang roared in explosive fury, “Zhang Xianglin, as long as I, Huo Daozhang, still have a breath left, I absolutely won’t let your conspiracy succeed.”

Wang Hang lamented, “For personal selfish desires, massacring twenty thousand people of Yinshuang City—as their magistrate, I cannot sit and watch.”

“I’m going to see Sui Bing,” Wang Hang said resolutely.

The usually mediocre Wang Hang revealed unwavering determination. Li Si looked at him and thought inwardly: Prince Kang truly has a knack for using people. Some people are mediocre in ordinary times, but the more critical the moment, the more calm and composed they become, good at grasping the overall situation. Although this Wang Hang lacks great general talent, he possesses the potential of a good minister.

Li Si nodded approvingly. “I’ll go with you. I’ve met Sui Bing once before.”

Seeing Li Si was going, Bai Zhenzhu immediately jumped out and said, “Wherever Big Brother Li goes, I go too.”

Li Si showed a troubled expression and looked to Lao Sitou for help. Lao Sitou simply turned his head to the side, muttering as if talking to himself, “Whoever’s dog-skin plaster it is can stick it themselves. Don’t make things difficult for this old man.”

Li Si had no choice but to agree.

Hour of the Rooster, the sky gradually darkened. The gloom that hung over Yinshuang City like lead blocks gathered for a long time without dispersing. Sporadically, threads of rain began to fall. Though fine, they were equally bone-chillingly cold.

Li Si, Wang Hang, Bai Zhenzhu, and ten officers used torches to open the way all along, forcing back countless dark blood people. In the dim daylight, these blood-drinking, flesh-eating dark blood people resembled monsters crawling out of some cave. Their pairs of shriveled dark red pupils emitted weird red light in the dusk.

Bai Zhenzhu turned her head slightly and saw countless red lights directed at her. She couldn’t help but shrink back, pressing close to Li Si’s side. Li Si looked at her frightened little face and smiled at her to encourage her. “Don’t be afraid, girl. Just think of them as naughty, disobedient little monkeys with red bottoms. Think about it more and you won’t be afraid.”

Bai Zhenzhu smiled sweetly in response to Li Si.

Finally arriving at the city gate, they could see the high chevaux-de-frise erected across the stone bridge. Wang Hang’s figure trembled in the wind, but his steps didn’t slow even once, slowly walking to before the chevaux-de-frise. Behind the chevaux-de-frise were three neat rows of soldiers wearing helmets and armor, holding swords and halberds.

In these soldiers’ unmoving gazes, only four words could be read: Military orders are like mountains.

Wang Hang calmed his mind and called out loudly, “I am Yinshuang County Magistrate Wang Hang. Please inform General Sui Bing that I wish to see him.”

Wang Hang called out three times. The soldiers opposite showed not a trace of change in expression, their gazes uniformly fixed on some unknown point ahead. Wang Hang was about to call again when Li Si stopped him. “Let me try.”

“General Sui, an old friend comes calling. Why not come out to meet!” Li Si channeled his internal energy, his voice becoming long and resonant. After a moment, a stocky man in silver-white armor slowly walked out from behind the three rows of soldiers. In his piercing eyes seemed to lurk a leopard poised to strike, coldly imposing.

He was precisely the imperially-appointed General Ningyuan, commander of the Xuanjie Encampment, one of the Great Shi Dynasty’s six great military camps—Sui Bing.

Sui Bing stared at Li Si, gradually revealing a trace of a smile. “Indeed an old friend. Since we drank together at the Imperial Court last time, it’s been four or five years without seeing each other, hasn’t it? God-Catcher Li, have you been well?”

Li Si also smiled. “General Sui’s capacity is enormous. Last time at the Imperial Court drinking match, Li Si lost with wholehearted conviction. I just don’t know if there will be another opportunity in the future to drink wine with General Sui and talk of morning and evening.”

Sui Bing’s gaze dimmed. “Let’s leave it to fate.”

Wang Hang seized the opportunity. “General Sui, I am Yinshuang County Magistrate Wang Hang. The report you received was forged by someone and doesn’t count. Please, General Sui, give the twenty thousand civilians in the city a way to live.”

Sui Bing looked at Wang Hang, then suddenly clapped his hands.

In a moment, a prison cart was pushed out from the depths of the camp, inside which two people were bound—two dark blood people. Sui Bing said, “Regardless of whether the report is fake, this can’t be fake, can it?”

“The twenty thousand civilians are pitiful, but if we truly let them out, as long as there are two or three plague carriers among them, what would be slaughtered wouldn’t be merely twenty thousand people, but the hundred thousand people of Bei’an Central Province, the two million people of the entire Qingzhou.” Sui Bing raised his sword-like brows. “Has County Magistrate Wang heard of the Pinghu Tragedy in the Founding Emperor’s twelfth year?”

Wang Hang was stunned, speechless.

“In the Founding Emperor’s twelfth year, Pinghu suffered a large-scale wind plague outbreak, transmitted by wind. The then-Regional Inspector of Pinghu, Zhu Ganglun, released ten infected people from the city out of personal feelings, ultimately resulting in Guiyun Province losing five hundred thousand people over three years—a full five hundred thousand lives!” Sui Bing sighed with clenched fists. “In the Founding Emperor’s fifteenth year, the Founding Emperor established seven iron laws for the Great Shi military camps. The second one states: Whenever encountering a major epidemic transmission site, regardless of which official is currently in office, regardless of what important duties the military camp has, all are to be disregarded. Send troops to blockade the epidemic origin site. Only when the epidemic is controlled may they withdraw.”

“This is the Founding Emperor’s iron laws and military regulations. Do you have anything else to say?” Sui Bing said impassively.

Li Si looked deeply at Sui Bing and gently shook his head. “Nothing more.”

After Li Si spoke, he left, his heart firmly certain: That bold hero who once mistook a wine pot for a chamber pot and was free with gratitude and enmity was gone. What remained now was only a shell that curried favor with the powerful… nothing more.

In the distant horizon, the last ring of dim red clouds slowly disappeared. But the crimson blood clouds over all of Yinshuang City’s people gradually condensed. What kind of terrifying demons and spirits they would ultimately transform into, no one could know. They could only walk forward step by step.

Outside the city gate, Bai Zhenzhu was waving and waiting. Li Si smiled slightly. Looking up, he felt his cheek was cold—it was raining.

Wang Hang cried out in alarm, “Not good, the torches!”

Li Si suddenly realized. The rain suddenly fell like pouring water. The officers’ torches at the city gate flickered and were extinguished without resistance by the cold rainwater. In the next instant, dozens of dark blood people lurking around swarmed over. Bai Zhenzhu hadn’t discovered this sudden nightmare yet, still immersed in the happiness of waiting for Li Si, smiling sweetly, until a dark shadow grabbed her and bit down on her delicate arm…

“No!” Li Si roared with earth-shaking fury.

Bai Zhenzhu saw the dark blood person clearly and struggled, but to no avail. Li Si flashed back like lightning, kicking with internal energy fully channeled, shattering the dark blood person’s skull. Red and white blood and matter splattered. Bai Zhenzhu looked at Li Si longingly, reaching out her hand, but the light in her eyes rapidly dissipated, as if life was leaving her in an instant… She fell.

Li Si’s eyes were blood-red. Cold liquid rolled down his cheeks—impossible to tell if it was rainwater or tears. He drew his long sword and slashed left and right in a crazed manner, each sword like a blade, killing intent overwhelming. Dozens of dark blood people successively fell in pools of blood.

Wang Hang and the officers looked sorrowfully at the dying Bai Zhenzhu.

The young girl’s pink-white cheeks were shrouded in a layer of death energy, with spots of red appearing deep in her pupils. Li Si knelt down, holding her, murmuring, “Don’t be afraid, girl. You’ll be fine, you’ll definitely be fine! Look at me, look at me!”

Bai Zhenzhu barely squeezed out a trace of a smile, her gaze drifting. “Big Brother Li, the feeling of being held by you… is so good. I want… to stay like this forever…”

“I promise you, I’ll hold you forever, never let go again,” Li Si tightly embraced her with force.

Bai Zhenzhu lay happily in Li Si’s embrace, her voice gradually weakening. “Big Brother Li, you promised me… to take me to… the small island in the East Sea, sitting to watch the sunrise, lying to watch the sunset… you and me, a small island belonging to just the two of us… I want to go so much. I had so many dreams. In my dreams, I saw that small island. It’s truly so beautiful… but I probably can’t go anymore…”

“No, you definitely can go. I swear I’ll take you to see the sunrise and sunset on the island!”

Bai Zhenzhu’s face burst with astonishing radiance, as if seeing the island, seeing the sunrise and sunset. She smiled, with her usual mischievous and lovely tone. “Big Brother Li, I don’t want to become a monster. That would be too ugly… I don’t want you to see my ugly side… so kill me.”

“Girl, you’re talking nonsense again. You won’t become ugly, you won’t become a monster, and you won’t die… Big Brother Li guarantees you’ll always be beautiful, always be the little girl who charms people to death.”

“Really?” Bai Zhenzhu’s red lips moved.

Li Si nodded heavily. “Really.”

Bai Zhenzhu smiled sweetly. Her eyes quietly closed and moved no more.

The liquid on Li Si’s cheeks turned scalding hot. That wasn’t rainwater, but hot tears flowing from his body. More fierce roaring sounds came to his ears. Li Si coldly raised his head. The city gate was blocked full of dark blood people, their eyes revealing dark red fierce light, heads surging—a full two or three hundred people.

Hot tears had already cooled, becoming cold blood. Li Si gently laid Bai Zhenzhu flat and picked up his long sword. “I’ll stay behind. You all hurry and leave.”

Wang Hang said with concern, “Then what about you?”

Li Si didn’t answer but directly charged toward the dark blood people. Like a meteor rushing into the dark red sky, he shattered everything. Li Si cut open a bloody path. Blood sprayed and dyed his temples red as he continued slashing with an ice-stone face.

The officers protected Wang Hang as they escaped through the bloody path.

The intense bloody smell attracted more dark blood people. They squeezed Li Si layer by layer. Li Si’s hands and feet gradually lost strength. Unable to continue, he began to retreat. When he retreated to Bai Zhenzhu’s side, Li Si used his last trace of strength to slash open two dark blood people’s skulls, then his long sword fell to the ground with a clang.

Li Si roared toward the sky. His cold-blooded gaze slowly became gentle. He tightly embraced Bai Zhenzhu, shielding her body before him, unwavering.

“Girl, wait for me.”

Li Si’s lips curved upward as he resolutely closed his eyes.

The world seemed to freeze in this snap of a finger. Only the sound of raindrops shattering remained—”pala pala”…

Suddenly, faintly and vaguely, a flute melody drifted over leisurely, like the sound of heavenly springs washing away the killing intent in Li Si’s heart. The surrounding dark blood people remained motionless throughout. Li Si slowly opened his eyes. Before his eyes unfolded a shocking scene.

Countless dark blood people retreated like a falling tide, disappearing completely and cleanly under Li Si’s gaze.

And in the corner where the dark blood people retreated, Li Si saw a familiar figure with his left shoulder bare… It was that disaster refugee! He gripped a flute, his gaze stubbornly looking toward Li Si.

Li Si’s heart trembled. From the very first time seeing him, he felt something was wrong. Now he understood—it was the eyes! The disaster refugee’s eyes seemed familiar. He had definitely seen them before. Where had he seen them? Who was he?

A figure with slow but exceptionally persistent steps emerged from long-forgotten memories, along with those pitch-black stubborn eyes. Heavens, it’s him! The revenge-seeking youth from the summit of Lingyun Palace in Ye City—Bone!

Although his appearance had somewhat changed, it couldn’t be wrong. It was Bone.

Li Si opened his mouth wanting to call out to him, but looking at the flute Bone gripped, the dark blood people had retreated only after hearing the flute sound. What was the relationship between Bone and the dark blood people? Before Li Si’s eyes flashed those twenty-some disaster refugees who were skin and bones. Could it be, could it be that the carriers of the Dark Blood Plague were among those people…

Li Si was shocked. He looked at Bone again. Bone had already mixed into the tide of dark blood people and vanished.

Li Si gazed vacantly at Bai Zhenzhu, his heart as if hollowed out. He picked up Bai Zhenzhu, murmuring to himself, “Lao Sitou, find Lao Sitou. He might have a way to save the girl.”

Li Si ran madly toward the Nüwa Temple. Bai Zhenzhu in his arms was utterly silent.